News

2017-11-16

A Guide to Next Generation Fighters

Do we need fighter aircrafts when we have armed drones?

The simple answer is Yes, because drones cannot compete with manned fighter aircrafts when performing an OODA (Observation-Orientation-Decision-Action) loop.

OODA is one of the first principles of aerial combat favoring agility over raw power in dealing with human opponents. John Boyd, military strategist and US Airforce Colonel, developed it for the combat operations process, where it is now used to understand commercial operations and learning processes.

Consider a fighter pilot being scrambled to shoot down an enemy aircraft

Before the enemy airplane is within visual range, the pilot will consider any available information about the identity of the enemy pilot. When the enemy aircraft comes into radar contact, more direct information is given about the speed, size, and maneuverability of the enemy plane.

A first information-based decision is made where the pilot decides to “get into the sun” above his opponent and applies control inputs to climb. Observation follows:

Is the attacker reacting to the change of altitude? Then orientation: Is the enemy reacting characteristically or acting like a noncombatant? Is his plane exhibiting better-than-expected performance?

As the dogfight begins, there is little time for orienting as information cascades in real time and the pilot does not have time to process it, reacting as he is trained. He directs his thought to supervise the flow of action and reaction, continuously repeating the OODA cycle while his opponent is going through the same cycle.

From the Falklands to Libya, to Mali and Iraq more recently, air forces have become the first military component to engage in conflict. In modern warfare, air dominance is essential for conducting air-to-ground and air-to-sea operations safely and efficiently, with flexibility and fire-power ensuring that allied forces prevail.

Why not try an armed UAV?
The answer is that the OODA loop of UAV operator is imperfect and inferior to that of a fighter pilot, with a delay of 2-4 seconds between UAV recording image and the image visible to the UAV operator. The total delay can reach ten seconds between the “observe” and “act” part of the loop where the drone’s sensors record the opponent’s action and the drone finally reacts to it.

September 11 showed that it is essential in peacetime to secure national airspace with easily deployable control and air defense assets. The decisive place of the air component in modern warfare is demonstrated by the defense strategies of those nations wishing to maintain a leading role on the world stage.

Amongst these many powerful fighter-jet brands, many people still wonder which is the fastest and most powerful. Here, Nation Shield gives our pick of the greatest fighter aircraft.

F-22 Raptor
The 5th generation F-22’s unique combination of stealth, speed, agility and situational awareness, combined with lethal long-range air-to-air and air-to-ground weaponry, makes it the world’s best air dominance fighter. This Collier Award-winning aircraft has demonstrated precision attack capabilities, defeating both air- and ground-based threats with unparalleled deadliness and survivability.

The F-22’s ability to collect and share tactical information with friendly assets enables U.S. and allied forces to engage targets with unmatched battlespace awareness alongside higher readiness rates, faster response and lower life-cycle cost. The F-22 is powered by two F119 engines, the world’s most advanced combat aircraft engines whose unique thrust-vectoring nozzle and integrated stealth characteristics give it supercruise capability, achieving Mach 1.5+ speeds without using afterburners.

An all-aspect stealth and high speed/high altitude capability enables the F-22 is to dominate any adversary from conflict outset, providing a critical edge to joint force commanders in deterring future adversaries. The F-22 presents a new generation of fighter capability whose information fusion generates 360-degree battlespace awareness, while the planned upgrade of the F-22 to accept the AIM-120D and AIM-9X Block 2 Air-to-Air missiles and enhanced Air-to-Surface target location capabilities is set for 2019.

The Dassault Rafale
With its “OMNIROLE” capabilities, the RAFALE fully complies with the wide roles required for the smallest number of aircraft: permanent “Quick Reaction Alert” missions, power projection and deployments, deep strike missions, ground force support, reconnaissance missions, pilot training sorties and nuclear deterrence duties. The Air Force single-seat RAFALE C, two-seat RAFALE B, and Navy single-seat RAFALE M feature maximum airframe and equipment commonality in similar mission capabilities.

Offering an unprecedented growth-potential for the future, RAFALE fighter is equipped with an “Active Electronically Scanned Array” (AESA) RBE2 radar which is fully compatible with the upcoming long-range METEOR air-to-air missile. Where discretion is the single most important tactical factor, the RAFALE can rely on the following sensor systems:

• THALES’ “Front Sector Optronics” (FSO) system operates in the optronic wavelengths and immune to radar jamming in providing covert long-range detection and identification, high resolution angular tracking and laser range-finding for air, sea and ground targets.

• The FSO’s powerful TV sensor identifies targets in engagement where a visual contact is required.

• THALES and MBDA’s SPECTRA internal “Electronic Warfare” (EW) system is fully integrated with other systems to provide a multi-spectral threat warning capability against hostile radars, missiles and lasers.

The net-centric capability of the RAFALE hinges on its open architecture, its data fusion software and its data link compatibility which “plugs” it into the integrated battlespace. THALES’ Damocles laser designator pod brings full day-and-night laser designation capability with metric precision because the IR’s mid-wave infrared band maintains effectiveness in warm and humid conditions.

The French Army has adopted the new generation THALES AREOS reconnaissance system for the RAFALE for use in wide range of scenarios, from stand-off distance at high altitude down to high speed and extremely low-level. Having been operational in Libya, Mali and Iraq, THALES is now working on TALIOS, a new generation multifunction targeting pod.

Eurofighter Typhoon
Eurofighter Typhoon is a swing-role combat aircraft with simultaneous deployable Air-to-Air and Air-to-Surface capabilities (up to 6 bombs carrying 6 missiles, a cannon and a targeting pod) with sufficient processing power to support missile in-flight updates and bomb in-flight targeting.

Combining a proven, agile airframe built from stealth materials with next-gen sensor, control and weapons systems, the Typhoon delivers optimum combat capability beyond visual range (BVR) and in close combat. The large airframe also allows a wider field of regard than any other platform, being highly reliable across differing climates and combat proven in recent Libyan, Iraqi and Syrian operations.

The Typhoon works seamlessly in real-time with both ground control and other aircraft types in combat, defense, surveillance and monitoring scenarios. Radar upgrades to CAPTOR-E will bring significant operational benefits, while airframe design allows it to deliver the largest electronically scanned array for increased detection and tracking ranges,.

According to a post-Operational report, Typhoon employs Air-to-Air operations effective in every mode, with precision strike Air-to-Surface operations using Paveway IV laser-guided weapon and 27mm cannon in GPS, Laser, Desired impact angle or azimuth. The Litening III Advanced Targeting Pod generates a fidelity of coordinates that permits immediate self-strike capability, significantly reducing time to prosecute time-sensitive targets. New capabilities include the precision guided cruise missile Storm Shadow and the precision attack missile Brimstone.

cLightening II
Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems have produced this 5th Generation fighter, combining advanced stealth capabilities with fighter aircraft speed and fully-fused sensor information, network-enabled operations and advanced logistics.

The F-35C retains its stealthy advantage with minimal low observable maintenance, even in the harshest shipboard conditions, while Enhanced Asymmetric Advantage ensures major advances in network-enabled mission systems, reliability and interoperability. It is a first-day-of-the-war fighter dominating adversaries in the air or on the surface with advanced stealth enabling pilots to penetrate areas without being detected by the radars legacy fighters cannot evade.

Missions traditionally performed by specialized aircraft can now be executed by a squadron of F-35s as an integrated airframe design, advanced materials and other features make the F-35 virtually undetectable. Advanced electronic warfare (EW) capabilities enable pilots to locate and track enemy forces, jam radars and disrupt attacks with unparalleled effectiveness, with advanced avionics real-time access to battle space information with 360-degree coverage to dominate the tactical environment.

Sukhoi – Su 35
The pinnacle of 4th-generation jet fighter design, the Sukhoi Su-35 Flanker-E is the top Russian air-superiority fighter in service today. Most of the Su-35’s electronics and weapons capabilities have caught up with Western equivalents, although it is yet to be pitted against 5th-generation stealth fighters, such as the F-22 and F-35.

The nozzles of its Saturn AL-41F1S turbofans can point independently in different directions to assist the aircraft in rolling and yawing, enabling the Su-35 to achieve very high angles-of-attack training its weapons easily on an evading target. It can execute tight maneuvers and with excellent acceleration, the achieve a maximum speed of Mach 2.25 at high altitude.

The Su-35’s service ceiling is sixty thousand feet - ten thousand feet higher than Super Hornets, Rafales and F-35s. It has twelve to fourteen weapons hardpoints compared to the eight hardpoints on the F-15C and F-22.

Using thrust-vectoring technology, the R-74 has a range of over twenty-five miles. At long range, the Su-35 can use radar-guided K-77M over 120 miles, while for shorter-range engagements the R-74 infrared-guided missile is capable of targeting an enemy plane “off boresight” up to sixty degrees away from where the pilot’s plane is pointed, visible through a helmet-mounted optical sight.

MIG 35
The MiG-35 battlefield fighter was developed from MiG-29M as a medium-weight fighter but with the new Phazatron Zhuk active phased array radar, it has vastly improved avionics and weapon systems. It is more resistant to electronic countermeasures and has longer detection range, tracking and engaging more targets simultaneously.

The MiG-35 can track 30 targets, engaging 6 at a time with a detection range of about 130-160 km for air targets and 300 km for ships. It is fitted with a forward air target optical location system detecting incoming fighters from at least 50 km, outgoing fighters from 90 km and able to detect a tank at 20 km.

This multi-role fighter is armed with a 30-mm cannon, carrying 150 rounds of ammunition with 9 external hardpoints and up to 7,000kg of payload. It is fitted with two Klimov RD-33MK engines, reducing infrared and optical visibility, with 7% more power and higher thrust. The thrust-vectoring nozzles of the RD-33MKV engines increasing combat efficiency by 12-15%.

F-15 Eagle
The F-15 Eagle is a twin-engine all-weather fighter undefeated in 100 air-to-air fights. A two-seat, dual-role, totally integrated fighter for all-weather, air-to-air and deep interdiction missions, with twin Boeing engines providing 58,000 pounds of thrust, enabling the F-15 to exceed speeds of Mach 2.5.

The rear cockpit has been upgraded to include four multi-purpose CRT displays for aircraft systems and weapons management. The unique multi-mission avionics system has an internally mounted, tactical electronic-warfare system, alongside a head-up display, advanced radar, inertial navigation system, ultrahigh frequency communications and tactical navigation system.

The Eagle combines of air-to-air weapons, including AIM-120 advanced medium range air-to-air missiles on its lower fuselage corners, AIM-9L/M Sidewinder or AIM-120 missiles on two pylons under the wings and an internal 20mm Gatling gun in the right-wing root. The Advanced Eagle upgrade consists of four so-called “quad pack” hardpoints on the wings, each capable of carrying four AMRAAM missiles.

Most notably, the Talon HATE sensor and communications pod allows the F-15 to receive data from F-22s without the enemy picking up on the transmissions. As an infra-red search and track sensor, the Talon HATE allows aircraft to tap into the IFDL and Raptor sensor, so enabling the pilot to see incoming data via a new central touchscreen cockpit display.

Chengu J-10
Known as Meng Long (Vigorous Dragon) in China and the Firebird in the West, the J-10 multi-role fighter is the first Chinese-developed combat aircraft to challenge the performance and capabilities of Western fighters. This highly secret project began in 1988 to counter the threat of Soviet 4th-generation fighters but with the collapse of the Soviet Union, China re-focused on a multi-role fighter.

The J-10 is single engine with an indigenous turbofan, in-flight refueling capability and beyond-visual range air combat and surface attack capabilities. It has 11 external hardpoints for weapons and can carry target acquisition, navigation pods or auxiliary fuel tanks.

The PL-12 medium-range active radar-homing air-to-air missiles are used on air-superiority missions with PL-8 infrared-homing missiles for close range. For surface attack, the J-10 carries up to six 500-kg laser-guided bombs, free-fall bombs or 90-mm unoperated rocket pods, along with a single-barrel 23-mm cannon. A full war-load includes a PL-8 on each two outer pylons, a PL-12 on two mid-wing pylons and on the four fuselage “corner” pylons and an external tank on the two inner pylons and on the centerline pylon. Meanwhile, the J-10 is fitted with an indigenously designed pulse-doppler fire control radar of 100 km maximum detection range, capable of tracking 10 targets simultaneously and attacking 4 of them.

Reference / Photos:www.lockheedmartin.com,www.boeing.com,www.dassault-aviation.com,www.eurofighter.com,www.migavia.ru

Comments () Views (5368 ) Print

Send To Friend